Pope Francis pushes a more Palestinian version of Jesus as part of his interfaith agenda, plus allows LGBT pastors for Jubilee 2025
Pope Francis inaugurates nativity scene with baby Jesus swaddled in Palestinian “keffiyeh,” sparking outrage from Protestants and Jews.
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The Bible teaches that Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1), which is currently considered to be part of Palestine. Although the Bible is clear that Jesus was a Jew (Matthew 1:1-3; John 4:9-10), one could say His place of birth has Palestinian connections.
Pope Francis and the Vatican seem to have taken that further as part of their ecumenical and interfaith agendas:
December 9, 2024
Pope Francis attended a nativity scene crafted in Bethlehem, Israel, by Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi and presented by Palestinian officials in Pope Paul VI Hall in Vatican City. The display depicting the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem featured Baby Jesus lying on a Keffiyeh, a traditional Arab head covering for men that PLO leader Yasser Arafat appropriated as a symbol of Palestinian terrorism.
Speaking at the event, a wheelchair-bound Francis called on Catholics to “remember the brothers and sisters, who, right there [in Bethlehem] and in other parts of the world, are suffering from the tragedy of war,” adding, “enough war, enough violence!” …
According to Vatican News, the keffiyeh-draped cradle, which will be displayed in the Paul VI Hall, is one of a series of nativity scenes collectively titled “Nativity of Bethlehem 2024. ” …
The creation and display of the plaque and nativity scene were organized by the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, an organ of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and the Palestinian embassy to the Vatican. Joining the pope in presiding over the scene’s dedication on Sunday was PLO executive committee member and the head of the Palestinian Committee for Church Affairs, Ramzi Khouri, who conveyed “warm greetings” from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Khouri expressed “deep gratitude for the pope’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and his tireless efforts to end the war on Gaza and promote justice,” according to a PLO press release.
The project was overseen by Mitri Raheb, a Lutheran Pastor in Bethlehem, who preaches that modern Jews are descended from an “East European tribe who converted to Judaism in the Middle Ages” and have no historical connection to the land of Israel. He claims that modern Palestinians are the true descendants of King David and Jesus. …
Islam reveres Jesus as a non-divine prophet … https://israel365news.com/398466/pope-francis-unveils-baby-jesus-in-a-keffiyeh/
Before going further, let me note that contrary to the views of the Lutheran pastor Mitri Raheb, Jews in Israel do have a historical connection to the land of Israel–for details on that as well as the descendants on the throne of King David, check out the free online book: Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?
Related to Francis’ interfaith agenda with the Muslims, notice the following:
May 26, 2020
The Catholic Church since Vatican II has taught in different ways that Muslims and Christians do worship the same God. Lumen Gentium §16 includes the line: “Muslims, who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and merciful God, who on the last day will judge mankind [nobiscum Deum adorant unicum, misericordem].” Pope Saint John Paul II, speaking in front of a soccer stadium filled with young Muslims in Casablanca, Morocco, in 1985, famously declared:
We believe in the same God, the one God, the living God, the God who created the world and brings his creatures to their perfection.
More recently Pope Francis implied as much when he signed the Declaration on Human Fraternity in early 2019, together with the grand imam of Al-Azhar, in Abu Dhabi. Therein the two religious leaders mutually declare: “We, who believe in God and in the final meeting with Him and His judgment.”…
Still, while it is none of my business to make theological propositions on behalf of Muslims, it is right to point out that the Qur’an itself agrees that we worship the same God. In Q 29:46 the Qur’an has God announce: “Say: ‘We believe in what has been sent down to us, and what has been sent down to you; our God and your God is One, and to Him we have surrendered.” https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/is-the-quranic-god-the-same-god-as-the-biblical-god/
Here is something the official Catechism of the Catholic Church promotes:
“The Church’s relationship with the Muslims. ‘The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.'” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Section 841)
The official Roman Catholic view brings the following scripture to mind:
4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4)
The interfaith agenda and teachings bring the following words Jesus cited to mind:
“Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? … 6 … you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 “These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'” (Matthew 15:3, 6-9)
Francis and others are pushing for a unity that is simply not biblical.
In our free online book Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century we have the following:
Chrislam
One way some have been trying to attain Islamic cooperation with Vatican objectives is through attempting to merge various ideas and even symbols. Some have referred to this type of merging as ‘Chrislam.’
Notice the following that came from Vatican News:
Notice that it has a large crescent and a type of cross. One critic referred to the above as “the official logo for Chrislam.” [i] This author, however, coined the term “Chrislam Cross” back in 2019. [ii]
Why?
While Islam has long been concerned about crosses, the Chrislam cross looks to be a way to reduce Islamic repulsion. And while it does seem to do that with some Muslims, that will only be temporal.
Perhaps it should be pointed out that this author has seen Hindu and Buddhist temples with crosses of various types, and has noticed that large crosses are sometimes built within them. The Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia, to cite one famous example, has several. An ecumenical cross has been promoted in recent years. [iii]
Hence, Islam and original Christianity notwithstanding, the cross seems to be an international religious symbol.
Thus, because the bulk of the world will tend to accept a coming false religion (Revelation 13:3–4,8), some type of ecumenical religious order, possibly using some type of a cross as a symbol, would seem to appeal to many around the world.
[i] Grider G. Vatican Officially Releases Chrislam Logo For Pope Francis Upcoming ‘Servant Of Hope’ Tour To The Muslim Nation OF Morocco. Now The End Begins, February 10, 2019
[ii] Thiel B. Vatican unveils ‘Chrislam cross’ for ‘Servants of Hope’ conference in Morocco. COGwriter.com, February 12, 2019
[iii] Kenny P. Salvadoran cross that is Christian sign of unity is dedicated at Ecumenical Center in Geneva. Ecumenical News, January 18, 2018
More on the Vatican’s interfaith agenda can be found in the article Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? as well as the free online book: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?
Regarding the Vatican’s ecumenical plans, notice the following:
Jubilee 2025 to welcome LGBT pastoral groups for the first time in history
December 8, 2024
The upcoming Holy Year of 2025 is set to make history by including, for the first time, a dedicated day for Christian and Catholic associations involved in LGBT pastoral care. This unprecedented move, scheduled for September 6, 2025, underscores a message of inclusion under Pope Francis’ ongoing call for a more welcoming Church. While the vice-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, sought to frame this event as one among many within the broader Jubilee calendar, his message was clear: “All are welcome.” Vatican representatives have emphasized that the inclusion does not equate to sponsorship of specific events, reflecting a careful balancing act within the Church’s approach to contentious issues. https://zenit.org/2024/12/08/jubilee-2025-to-welcome-lgbt-pastoral-groups-for-the-first-time-in-history/
That is so wrong. One would think that the Vatican would accept what is written in Bible translations they accept like the following:
22 For professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
23 And they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and of fourfooted beasts, and of creeping things.
24 Wherefore God gave them up to the desires of their heart, unto uncleanness, to dishonour their own bodies among themselves.
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie; and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God delivered them up to shameful affections. For their women have changed the natural use into that use which is against nature.
27 And, in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, have burned in their lusts one towards another, men with men working that which is filthy, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was due to their error.
28 And as they liked not to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them up to a reprobate sense, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all iniquity, malice, fornication, avarice, wickedness, full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, malignity, whisperers,
30 Detractors, hateful to God, contumelious, proud, haughty, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Foolish, dissolute, without affection, without fidelity, without mercy.
32 Who, having known the justice of God, did not understand that they who do such things, are worthy of death; and not only they that do them, but they also that consent to them that do them. (Romans 1:22-32, Douay-Rheims Bible)
Having LGBT pastoral groups as part of their religious and ecumenical plans is certainly providing them some approval, some consent, yet the Bible clearly opposes that.
That said, part of the purpose of this post is to point out Islamic beliefs about Jesus as well as to why Muslims should accept Jesus as the Son of God.
In our free online book Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century we have the following as the 7th chapter:
- Jesus (Isa) is the Messiah and Will Return
The Bible teaches:
10 Jesus Christ of Nazareth, …, whom God raised from the dead, … 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:10-12)
Muslims accept that God sent Jesus, but do not view Him as Christians do. While they believe that God raised Jesus up, they normally believe that was to heaven while He was alive, and not that God raised Him from the dead.
Perhaps it should be mentioned that the Quran tends to call Jesus the “son of Miriam” or Isa.
Why Isa?
Well, the actual Greek word for the Messiah’s name in the New Testament is Ίησοû or Ίησοûς. Transliterated into English, it would be something like Ieesoú or Ieesoús. There was no “J” sound associated with it until the English language changed a few centuries ago. Hence, the Islamic “Isa” is probably a closer approximation than Jesus as far as the Greek is concerned.
Many people do not realize that most Muslims, whether they are Shia or Sunni, expect Jesus to return at the time of judgment. Notice what the Quran teaches:
043.057
YUSUFALI: When (Jesus) the son of Mary is held up as an example, behold, thy people raise a clamour threat (in ridicule)!043.061
YUSUFALI: And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me: this is a Straight Way.[i]My hope and prayer related to the above is that when Muslims do see Jesus return, they hopefully will accept the truth of His coming after He explains who He is.
Muslims teach that they will follow Jesus when He returns. Some basically also teach that the “People of the Book” will only follow Jesus if they accepted the Imam.[ii] Scripture does point to a coming “King of the South,” and while true Christians will not accept him as their religious leader, he could be considered in an Imam role.
Jesus is the Messiah
Jesus is considered to have been one of the prophets by Muslims:
And We sent Noah, and Abraham, and We appointed the Prophecy and the Book to be among their seed; and some of them are guided, and many of them are ungodly.
Then We sent, following in their footsteps, Our Messengers; and We sent, following, Jesus son of Mary, and gave unto him the Gospel.
And We set in the hearts of those who followed him tenderness and mercy. (Sura 57:27-28)
But, do Muslims believe Jesus was the Messiah?
Yes, but not the same way Christians do.
As originally written, the Quran itself uses the term al-Masih, the Arabic term for Messiah (Christ):
When the angels said, “Mary, God gives thee good tidings of a Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary; high honoured shall he be in this world and the next, near stationed to God. He shall speak to men in the cradle, and of age, and righteous he shall be.” (Sura 3:41)
Muslims also believe in Jesus’ virgin birth, but do not consider that He was the Son of God, but the son of Mary.
Consider:
The Quran refers to Jesus 35 times as “Isa ibn Maryam” (Jesus, son of Mary), a phrase occurring only once in the New Testament (Mark 6:3). The fact that he is not called the son of Joseph underscores Islamic agreement with Christians that Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus.[iii]
Here is one example:
That is Jesus, son of Mary, in word of truth, concerning which they are doubting. It is not for God to take a son unto Him. Glory be to Him! (Sura 19:35, as shown in The Koran Interpreted: A Translation by A. J. Arberry. Touchstone, NY, 1955)
Of course, God did not “take a son,” from among men to adopt. Instead, He sent His Holy Spirit to Mary, who bore a son.
Notice that the Quran also teaches:
Mary wondered, “My Lord! How can I have a child when no man has ever touched me?” An angel replied, “So will it be. Allah creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He simply tells it, ‘Be!’ And it is! (Sura 3:47)
A Christian would tend to interpret the above to mean that God is the Father of Jesus since He willed Jesus’ conception without a human male being involved.
Related to the virgin birth, the following are also from The Koran Interpreted a translation by A. J. Arberry (Sura chapters are correct, but verses are estimates as they were not completely delineated in the text used):
And mention in the Book Mary when she withdrew from her people to an eastern place, and she took a veil apart from them; then We sent unto her Our Spirit that presented himself to her a man without fault. She said, “I take refuge in the All-merciful from thee!
If thou fearest God. . . He said, “I am but a messenger come from thy Lord, to give thee a boy most pure.
She said, “How shall I have a son whom no mortal has touched, neither have I been unchaste?” He said, “Even so thy Lord has said: “Easy is that for Me; and that We may appoint him a sign unto men and a mercy from Us; it is a thing decreed.’”
So she conceived him, and withdrew with him to a distant place. And the birthpangs surprised her by the trunk of the palm-tree. (Sura 19:18-21)
And she who guarded her virginity, so We breathed into her of Our spirit and appointed her and her son to be a sign unto all beings. (Sura 21:91)
The context (which I have read) makes it clear that this was a reference to Mary and Jesus. At risk of repeat, yes, Islam accepts the virgin birth, God willed Jesus’ conception, and the fact that Jesus performed miracles.
Moslems Have Claimed That Jesus Did Not Die
Although the New Testament is repeatedly clear that Jesus would and did die (cf. Mark 14:44; Luke 24:46; John 2:22, 18:32, 20:9, 21:19; Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:2, 4:10, 5:36, 10:41, 13:30, 13:34, 17:3, 26:23; Romans 1:4, 4:24, 5:6, 5:10, 6:3, 6:4, 6:5, 6:9, 6:10, 8:11, 8:34, 10:7, 10:9, 10:39, 14:9, 14:15; 1 Corinthians 8:11, 15:3, 15:12, 15:21; 2 Corinthians 15:3, 15:14, 15:15; Galatians 1:1, 2:21; Ephesians 1:20; Philippians 2:8; Colossians 1:22, 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 2:15, 4:14, 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 2:9, 2:14, 13:20; 1 Peter 1:3, 1:21; Revelation 1:5, 1:18, 2:8, 5:9), the bulk of Islam does not accept those accounts as accurate.
But could this be based on a misunderstanding of the Quran? It states:
boasting, “We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.” But they neither killed nor crucified him—it was only made to appear so. Even those who argue for this are in doubt. They have no knowledge whatsoever—only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him. Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself. And Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. Every one of the People of the Book will definitely believe in him before his death. And on the Day of Judgment Jesus will be a witness against them. (Sura 4:157-159)
What if the meaning of the first part above is that no human could kill Jesus? Let it be noted that the Bible never teaches that Jesus was “crucified” as the Greek word for that, as well as for “cross” is not actually in the New Testament (the Greek word translated as “cross” in the Bible means a stake or pole, not a cross). And, yes, Christians accept the fact that God raised Him up to Himself. And yes, the faithful “People of the Book” most certainly do believe in Him.
The Bible shows that Jesus could only die because He gave up His life and that God the Father raised Him up:
17 Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down … (John 10:17-18)
1 … Jesus Christ … God the Father … raised Him from the dead (Galatians 1:1)
So, if the Quran should be interpreted to confirm the Scriptures, as Muhammad wrote (Sura 2:41), then Sura 4:157-159 would be confirming the above passages in the Bible.
The Quran teaches that the faithful are those who believe and do what the Bible teaches (Sura 2:41, 136, 5:66).
Now, let’s look at something from the Shakir translation of the Quran:
Isa son of Marium {Jesus son of Mary} … he will say:
Glory be to Thee … I was a witness of them so long as I was among them, but when Thou didst cause me to die, Thou wert the watcher over them, and Thou art witness of all things. (Sura 5:116-117)[iv]
Notice the Quran shows that Jesus said He did die and that God raised Him up. That is also what Christians believe. Muslims should as well.
Now, for Muslims who want to claim this is mistranslated, here is the most relevant line in Arabic from Quran.com:
مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِى كُنتَ أَنتَ ٱلرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ
Notice how Google Translate translated the above line on June 24, 2024:
As long as I was among them, and when you caused me to die, you were the watcher over them.
Note, on the same day, both Microsoft Bing and Translator.com both also came up with Jesus saying, “when I died.”
If Muslims really believe the Quran as written, they can see that it does teach that Jesus died and was raised by God.
Sadly, instead, many Muslims believe that Jesus did not die. Yet, Muslims do believe that Jesus is alive awaiting the time Allah will send Him back to the earth to kill enemies like the Dajjal.
The Bible teaches Jesus was raised from the dead (e.g. Acts 13:28-30), is sitting next to God, (Hebrews 10:12) will return to eliminate enemies (Hebrews 10:13), and will have the Beast and False Prophet (the final Antichrist) tossed into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:11-20).
The Bible says Jesus is the one mediator/intercessor between God the Father and humanity in 1 Timothy 2:5.
Notice a hadith:
“They will go to “Isa and say, “O “Isa! You are the Messenger of Allah and His Word which He cast to Maryam and a spirit from Him. You spoke to people while in the cradle. Intercede with your Lord on our behalf. Do you not see what we are suffering?” (Bukhari, Book of Tafsir, 4435)
So, Muslims believe that Jesus was God’s messenger and His Word, plus He is to be our intercessor—that is consistent with what the New Testament teaches (John 1:1-2; 1 Timothy 2:5).
Now, Muslims also tend to teach that Jesus was the LAST one anointed by God.[v] However, the New Testament teaches that true believers, true Christians, have anointing from God in 1 John 2:20.
Getting back to the Quran, it teaches:
Those who say, “Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary,” have certainly fallen into disbelief. The Messiah ˹himself˺ said, “O Children of Israel! Worship Allah—my Lord and your Lord.” Whoever associates others with Allah ˹in worship˺ will surely be forbidden Paradise by Allah. Their home will be the Fire. And the wrongdoers will have no helpers.
Those who say, “Allah is one in a Trinity,” have certainly fallen into disbelief. There is only One God. If they do not stop saying this, those who disbelieve among them will be afflicted with a painful punishment.
Will they not turn to Allah in repentance and seek His forgiveness? And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Sura 5:72-74)
Muslims believe that Jesus was the Messiah, yet most do not understand that He is the Son of God.[vi] Now, presuming we equate the Arabic word Allah with God the Father, truly we in the CCOG concur that the Father was not the Messiah, Jesus is (cf. John 4:25-26). The Bible teaches that God is one family (Genesis 1:26; Ephesians 3:14-15) and is not the Greco-Roman trinity.
But yes, we agree with Islam that God is merciful and will forgive trinitarians who truly repent.
Yes, Jesus Will Return
Furthermore, Sunni Muslims do believe that Jesus will return and usher in a glorious era:
The Sunni believe that after the al-Mahdi comes, Jesus will return to earth to fight the forces of evil led by al-Dajjal, the Great Charlatan or Antichrist. The forces of good will prevail, and Jesus will rule the world for an undisclosed period of time, after which he will die and be buried alongside Muhammad in Medina.[vii]
The Bible tells of a leader from the predominantly Islamic lands, called the King of the South (Daniel 11:40) in North Africa and the Middle East, rising up. After what looks to be the start (Daniel 11:39) of the “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24:21), this King of the South will fight against the “King of the North” (Daniel 11:40-43) called the “Beast” in Revelation 13. The King of the North will win, but this King/Beast will be destroyed when Jesus returns (Revelation 19:16-20). Jesus will then establish the millennial kingdom and reign for 1000 years (Revelation 20:6).
Islam agrees with most of this (though the time period is not as defined, though some teach that Jesus will only reign 40 years per Sunan Abi Dawud 4324: Book 39, Hadith 34), but believes that Islam will then reign supreme.
Christians believe that Islam will basically be gone by or after Jesus returns (cf. Revelation 11:15-18; 1 Corinthians 15:25; cf. Philippians 3:18).
Now, Muslims believe that Jesus will return and kill the Beast/Antichrist which they call the ad-dajjal. Notice the following:
Islam sees Jesus’ return as a completion of his life and work, which he left incomplete. As the true Messiah, he alone has the power granted to him by God to defeat the false Messiah at the end of time.[viii]
He will break the cross, kill swine, and abolish jizyah. Allah will perish all religions except Islam. He will destroy the Antichrist and will live on the earth for forty years and then he will die. (Sunan Abi Dawud 4324: Book 39, Hadith 34)
Surely, Jesus the son of Mary will soon descend among you and will judge mankind justly; he will break the cross and kill the pigs and there will be no Jizya. (Sahih al-Bukhari 4.55.657)
The Jizya is a tax that non-Muslims can be forced to pay in Muslim territories. Some Muslims believe by the killing pigs statement, that is to be understood symbolically, and serves as a practical way to forbid people from eating and trading pork[ix]—which early Christians did not do.
That said, why do Muslims generally NOT accept the deity of Jesus, etc.?
Muslims believe that Christians and Jews distorted the divine message given to Moses and Jesus and that today’s Hebrew scriptures and Christian Bible are flawed, unlike the Quran. [x]
However, Muhammad did NOT teach that the Bible was distorted, but should be believed (Sura 2:41, 136, 5:66, 6:115).
Hopefully those Muslims willing to look at the evidence will realize that the scriptures were not corrupted (admittedly there were parts of two verses added to the New Testament, around 1000 A.D. that most scholars, and those in the Continuing Church of God, do not accept as genuine; plus like with the Quran, there are sometimes issues with the translations), but the original biblical texts can be relied on to accept Jesus’ divinity.
Binding of Satan and the Millennium
The Bible shows that after being bound for a thousand years, Satan will be released before judgment day and that there will be an attack from Gog and Magog (Revelation 20:7-12).
Islam teaches that Ya’juj and Ma’juj’ (which Muslims tie in with Gog and Magog) are to be released just before judgment day. [xi] Islam teaches that a forty-year era of peace for Jesus to rule comes after Ya’juj and Ma’juj’ (Sunan Abi Dawud 4324, Book 39, Hadith 34).
Notice also the following:
By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, surely (Jesus,) the son of Mary will soon descend amongst you and will judge mankind … Money will be in abundance (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 60, Hadith 118)
Biblically, that hadith sounds like a short view of the millennium in Revelation 20:1-4 and Isaiah 11:5-10, which will be a time of abundance.
Islam teaches that Jesus will die, but that is partially-based on what is considered by some to be from a “not authentic” hadith.[xii] The Bible shows that Jesus has immortality (1 Timothy 6:16) and is to reign forever (Revelation 11:15), hence He will not experience physical death.
The Bible shows that Jesus and His faithful will reign on the earth for 1,000 years:
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4)
That one-thousand year period of time is called the millennium. That is part of the good news of the kingdom of God.
God inspired Isaiah to write this about Jesus (called “Rod from the stem of Jesse” and “the Branch” below) ruling and the millennium:
1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. 6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. 10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:1-10).
The Book of Isaiah makes it clear that there will be a physical reign on earth, with the Messiah in charge, and people will not be allowed to hurt others. This is the real utopia.
Related to the passages in Isaiah 11, the late Dr. Herman Hoeh observed:
This can’t be in heaven. There are no wicked human beings in heaven. Children are not being suckled and weaned in heaven.
AND THIS CAN’T BE IN THE NEW EARTH BECAUSE THERE WILL BE NO WICKED PERSONS THERE (Rev. 21:1-4).
These events must occur on this earth during the millennium. [xiii]
Yes, there will be a millennial kingdom on the earth. It will be just:
16 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation,
A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
Whoever believes will not act hastily.
17 Also I will make justice the measuring line,
And righteousness the plummet;
The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
And the waters will overflow the hiding place. (Isaiah 28:16-17)16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
And righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
17 The work of righteousness will be peace,
And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
18 My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation,
In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, (Isaiah 32:16-18a)3 A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law. (Isaiah 42:3-4)4 “Listen to Me, My people;
And give ear to Me, O My nation:
For law will proceed from Me,
And I will make My justice rest
As a light of the peoples.
5 My righteousness is near,
My salvation has gone forth,
And My arms will judge the peoples;
The coastlands will wait upon Me,
And on My arm they will trust. (Isaiah 51:4-5)Most of the scriptures above are prophecies related to Jesus bringing justice.
More on the good news of the coming Kingdom of God can be found in the free booklet, online in over 1,500 languages, at ccog.org titled: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
An Islamic Misunderstanding About Jesus
While the group that called itself the Islamic State does not represent most of Islam, notice something it had in a magazine article titled Why We Hate You & Why We Fight You:
We hate you, first and foremost, because you are disbelievers; you reject the oneness of Allah – whether you realize it or not – by making partners for Him in worship, you blaspheme against Him, claiming that He has a son, you fabricate lies against His prophets and messengers, and you indulge in all manner of devilish practices.[xiv]
Getting past the hate comments, the reality is that the prophets DID teach that God would have a son. Notice what the prophet Isaiah was inspired to write:
5 For a child has been born to us, A son has been given us. And authority has settled on his shoulders. He has been named The Mighty God is planning grace; (Isaiah 9:5ab, Jewish Publication Society 1985—this is Isaiah 9:6ab in most other translations)
Notice what the Psalmist prophesied:
6 ‘Truly it is I that have established My king
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.’7 I will tell of the decree: The LORD said unto me: ‘Thou art My son, This day have I begotten thee. (Psalm 2:6-7, Jewish Publication Society 1917)
So, the Hebrew scriptures (even with Jewish translations) clearly prophesied that God would beget a Son.
Jesus was begotten to be the Christ:
10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
Muslims are supposed to believe the Old and New Testaments–though many claim that they were altered. Yet, there would be no reason to accept that the Jews would have altered a prophecy in Isaiah to point to a Son being born who is called the “Mighty God” as that would support views of Christians. Nor would they have altered the Psalms for the same basic reason.
And getting back to Isaiah, The Great Isaiah Scroll was one of the so-called Dead Sea Scrolls found by Muslim shepherds in 1946. That scroll has been dated to be between 1900 to 2300 years old.
Here is a translation of the relevant part of Isaiah 9 in The Great Isaiah Scroll by Professors Petwer W. Finch and Eugene Ulrich (italics added by them as they were not in The Great Isaiah Scroll):
6 For a child is born to us, a son is given us. The government will be on his shoulders. He is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6ab)
So, The Great Isaiah Scroll also shows that a son was to be born who would be God.
Now, here is a translation from the Dead Sea Scrolls (3Q2 Psalms) of the following:
6 “Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.” 7 I will tell of the decree. Yahweh said to me, “You are my son. Today I have become your father. (Psalm 2:6-7)
Yes, God has a son and yes, He is the Father.
The Islamic State was wrong: it is NOT a lie to point to Jesus as the Son of God, and His arrival was prophesied. More on that can be found in the free book, available online at ccog.org, titled: Proof Jesus is the Messiah.
[i] The Qur’an. From chapter 43 http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/
quran/043.qmt.html 03/22/09[ii] Yaseen, The Signs, pp. 102-103
[iii] Morgan D. Essential Islam: A Comprehensive Guide to Belief and Practice. ABC-CLIO, 2010, p. 43
[iv] M. H. Shakir, The Holy Quran; Arabic Text and English Translation; Foot-notes by M. H. Shakir. 1974, pp. 188-189
[v] Yaseen, The Signs, pp. 108-109
[vi] Morgan, p. 46
[vii] Morgan, p. 48
[viii] Boulter J. THE RETURN OF JESUS (PART 1 OF 5). Religion of Islam, 12 June 2006 https://www.islamreligion.com/articles/363/viewall/return-of-jesus-part-1 accessed 05/31/24
[ix] Clarification for Sahih al Bukhari 2476 about killing pigs.
https://islam.stackexchange.com/questions/75933/clarification-for-sahih-al-bukhari-2476-about-killing-pigs Accessed 03/22/24
[x] Morgan, p. xvi
[xi] Yaseen, The Signs, p. 223
[xii] Yaseen, The Signs, p. 261
[xiii] Hoeh H. The Coming Utopia – Wonderful World Tomorrow. Tomorrow’s World, May-June 1970
[xiv] Dabiq, issue 15, Shawal 1437, 31 July 2016, p. 31
Related to Islam and Jesus, the Continuing Church of God put together this sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:
1:12:30Do the Quran and Bible agree on numerous points of doctrine and prophecy? Both Islam and Christianity teach that Jesus’ mother Mary was a virgin and that Jesus is our intercessor. While the Bible teaches that Jesus was the Son of God, died, and was resurrected, most Muslims do not believe that–but is this because there are errors in the Bible or mistranslations in the Quran? Does a literal translation of part of Sura 5:117 (مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِى كُنتَ أَنتَ ٱلرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ) show that Jesus said He did die? Does the ‘Great Isaiah Scroll’ and the other ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ help prove that the Bible was not corrupted? Have “traditions of men” impacted Islam as well as much of what passes for “Christianity”? Does the merciful God of love have a plan to save Muslims and others? Are there three resurrections and an age to come? After the second resurrection, will God plead with all then and give them a real opportunity for salvation if they will submit to, truly obey (Hebrews 5:9), Him? Why did God make you? What did God make everyone else? Does the Quran condemn Sabbath-breakers? Where do Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, and biblical prophecies tend to be similar and different? Does a writing from Nostradamus relating to Turkey tie in with biblical prophecies? What did early Christians believe? What church still believes and holds the original teachings of the faith once for all delivered to the saints? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues in this fifth and last part of a five part sermon series.
Here is a link to the sermon: Jesus and God’s Plan for Muslims.
If you are interested in more on Islam and prophecy, check out the free online book: Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century.
And as far as the Vatican goes, it does NOT hold to the teachings of the Bible nor the original catholic church–and its interfaith and ecumenical agendas are wrong. For details on those matters, check out the free online book: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century This is a free online book which helps show where biblical and Islamic prophecies converge and diverge. Here are links to related sermons: Seeing Christianity Through Islamic Eyes, Imam Mahdi, women, and prophecy, and Terrorism, Iran, and Fatima, Dajjal, Antichrist, Gold, & Mark of the Beast?, and Jesus and God’s Plan for Muslims.
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but … These videos cover nearly all of the book, plus have some information not in the book. We also have the book translated in the Spanish PRUEBA de que JESÚS es el MESÍAS and French PREUVES QUE JÉSUS EST LE MESSIE languages.
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and three video sermonette are also available: Pope Francis signs ‘one world religion’ document! and The Chrislam Cross and the Interfaith Movement and Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
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